Berkeley Heights setting up Gov. Livingston High as warming center

BERKELEY HEIGHTS — Mayor Joe Bruno has issued a letter to residents, asking them to "Be Prepared" for tonight's expected storm, which could bring with it falling trees and downed power lines.

Governor Livingston High School, at 175 Watchung Blvd., will be the township's official emergency warming and power center. Residents will be able to power up computers and cell phones and stay warm at the school.

If the power goes out, residents should report the outages to:JCP&L at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877); PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG (1-800-436-7734). Do not assume that your neighbor called the outages in or that the power company knows of the outages.

There is no parking on township roads during a snow emergency. Residents are asked to keep their vehicles off the streets or they will be subject to tickets and/or towing.

There is still time to connect to Global Connect, the emergency communications system used by the town. Go to the township website at www.berkeleyheightwtwp.com. Click on the Administrative button, click on Departments, choose Police. Click on Global Connect and follow the simple instructions for enrollment.

Do not call 911 if your reason for calling is not a life-threatening emergency. The police department's non-emergency is number is 908-464-1111.

Be Prepared

Keep flashlights and fresh batteries in your home. Avoid using candles to light your home, especially around children and pets.

Make sure you have fresh batteries in a portable radio so you can stay tuned to your local radio station for updates on the progress of restoring power. Keep a battery-powered radio with extra batteries on hand. Tune to a local station for current storm information.

Stock an emergency supply of convenience foods that do not require cooking.

Have a hard-wired telephone or a charged cell phone handy in the event you need to report your electricity is out. Mobile phones can be charged in your vehicle using a car charger when the power is out. If you have a smartphone, this will ensure you have access to online information sources.

Gather extra blankets or a sleeping bag for each person.

Do not use gas stoves, kerosene heaters or other open-flame heat sources inside your home, to prevent deadly carbon monoxide gas from building up.

Finally, drive safely on roads that may freeze over. Bring a cell phone and blanket in your vehicle. Report any issues on municipal roads to the respective municipality. If there are any issues on county roads, call the County Police at 908-654-9800.